You Get What You Pay For
by Aperture Lurker
Summary: AU. IYKAG, MS. Naraku has kidnapped Kagome! After a while of being captured, she sees IY at a store. Could he help her? Stupid question, ne? WTF does Naraku want, anyway? RR! Chapter 4 up
1. 01 Lovely Summer Days

Author's Rant: Allo Minna-chan! This is a FIRST attempt at A) An Inuyasha fanfic B) A fanfic with a plot and C) a fic NOT written in script form! ::Random cheers:: It's an AU, and IY/KAG, S/M, (of course. Ya'll know ya love 'em! ^,^) and others (it really depends on who's in it) Suggestions, comments, and questions are welcome in the review!! On with the story!!!

-- You Get What You Pay For --

-- Chapter 1 --

-- Lovely Summer Days --

A black-haired girl stretched and yawned deeply, placing a broom against the side of the shrine. Birds made little 'tweet' noises, and the sun filtered through the trees. Yeah, a _perfect_ summer day, right. 

Looking around at the now sparkling clean shrine, Kagome sighed. _Stupid Sota, running off to camp and making me have to do his chores. Oh well, least it's quiet. Mom and grandpa went on the other side of town to do an exorcism and won't be back until tonight._ She put the broom away and headed for the kitchen. 

After raiding the fridge, Kagome started studying in her room. All was going well on this fine, happy, sunny day until the doorbell rang. 

Evil doorbell from the bowels of hell!

Always buy a peephole.

And never open the door for a strange man with blue eye shadow.

BUT! Being the PERFECT day it was, SOME people don't bother to think about things like that! (The author included)

"Hi!" Kagome said, happiness radiating from her in heavy waves that could tip the iceberg that sunk the Titanic over. The man's stomach turned at this but he refused to let his emotions show through. 

"Is you mother home?" The man asked. His black hair went past his shoulders in tangled waves and he wore a black shirt with dark blue jeans. He also had a really creepy aura around him that would make concerned mothers lead their children far away from him. 

But a certain oblivious girl just continued smiling. _Must be a bad childhood._ She thought.

"My mom? She went across town with grandpa for an exorcism. Do you want to leave a message?" 

The man shook his head, "You're the only on here?" When she nodded, he added, "That's dangerous for a young girl like you to be all alone nowadays."

The smile slipped from Kagome's face. What is this creep getting at? When he placed a hand on the door panel, she took a step back. 

He flashed her a cold, creepy smile, "With the kidnappings and all."

That's it. Kagome thought, I'm outta here. The girl turned and ran towards the back door as fast as her legs (and the furniture) would let her. She knew that Mr. Creeper wouldn't be far behind but she wasn't going down without a fight, darn it! 

Kagome knocked over a lamp that was resting on a corner table in hopes of slowing him down. But when she turned to look at the damage, she saw that he just jumped over it. _Wait_, she thought suddenly. _Suppose he's expecting me to go out the back door. He might have a trap already planned or some one waiting there!_ Acting quickly, she turned and headed for the stairway to her room. This took Mr. Creeper by surprise and gave her a bit of a boost. After slamming and locking her door, Kagome collapsed on the bed and took deep breaths to calm her frantic heart. 

This was the guy that was kidnapping young women! Realization hit her like a bag of Algebra textbooks. If only she had a phone in her room! But no! Mom thought she would talk all day instead of doing her homework. Yeah, thanks mom! Kagome growled in frustration and looked over at her open window that gave a great view of… a tree. 

There was an idea. Kagome's mind put together a plan. I've climbed the tree before when I was locked out. Then I could run to a payphone or something and call the police!

Her thoughts were rudely interrupted when a hand smashed through the door. Kagome paled. _Aw, crap! Moms going to kill me for this! That was a good door too._ Without really thinking, the girl grabbed a metal baseball bat that was sitting in the corner (she had it from when she was little) and snuck over to the door where Mr. Creeper's hand was trying to find the lock. 

"Do you know how much those doors cost?" she yelled at him and smashed the bat on his hand. A very loud curse word rang through out the house. Kagome smiled and jumped out the window with the bat while Mr. Creeper was distracted for a while. 

Kagome scrambled down the tree and started for the shrine steps. Now, all I have to do is find a phone! Then I can call the police and have Mr. Creeper arrested. I might get a big reward for it too! And then I'll be super famous for catching the guy! That would be so cool! Kagome reached the bottom of the stone steps and started towards the shopping district where it would be crowded and he wouldn't find her so easily. 

Too bad the poor girl forgot about the possibility that there was more than one and didn't notice the shadow following closely behind her. Something grabbed a hold of her shirt collar hard and jerked her back some. Then she felt a pinch on her neck and everything went black. 

-- -- -- -- 

Author's Rant: How was it? Should I keep it or should I send it to Fanfic Hell?? I want to know!!!! Review! Please? ::Crickets chirp:: Allo? 


	2. 02 Captured

Author's Rant: 

Chapter two, ya'll! ~^,^~ Hopefully this one's longer than the first. Special thanks to those special 14 reviews!! *Cackles* You love me! You really lo-*Gets shot in the head by angry, impatient reviewers* ^,^'' Ehehe, here's chapter two… *Goes off to find Megumi-dono*

-- You Get What You Pay For --

-- Chapter Two --

-- Captured --

Kagome's eyes opened slowly. Her head was pounding slightly and she was lying on a bed not her own. Forgetting what had happened last, she looked at the room (if you could call it that). It wasn't even close to what her room looked like. (For starters, her walls weren't made of stone.) The "room" only had a bed, sink, a mirror and a toilet. It was more like a cell.  
  
Then she remembered.  
  
"Mr. Creeper!" Kagome stood up from the bed only to fall back down again, envisioning little birds dancing the Macarena. Just what had happened to her? Oh yeah, he'd kidnapped her! (Duh!) Anger made her blood boil and she glared at the metal door that seemed to be the only entrance. _Stupid door_.

  
Slower this time, Kagome stood and walked to the hunk of metal that blocked her from the outside world. She tried the handle, only to find it locked. Kagome sighed. _Go figure_, she thought, checking out the other things in the cell. Just what does he want with me anyway? Some random ideas popped into her head and Kagome began to panic. _No, no, no!!! I'm too young for that; this can't be happening!_ She sunk to the cold stone floor by the bed. _It's just like on the TV shows. Some freak kidnaps a young, beautiful girl,   
and kills her for some twisted sacrifice!_  
  
Kagome felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes and sniffed. _I'm never gonna see mom or grandpa or Sota ever again! I'll never be a famous singer or TV star and I'll never fall in love and get married!_ As the last thought ran through her head, Kagome broke out into loud (slightly comical) sobs that could have, more than likely, woken the dead.  
  
Unbeknown to the "siren", the door handle clicked and wiggled a bit as some one tried to unlock it. A man with long black hair held up in a high ponytail entered the room.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Kagome's head snapped towards the now open door to find a man with narrowed light blue eyes standing there with his arms crossed. He looked about twenty and was wearing brown shorts with a matching shirt that showed off his well-toned muscles.  
  
"Keep quiet! You're really loud and annoying, ya know that?"  
  
Kagome blinked at him.  
  
"Good girl." he said smirking with the satisfaction of shutting her up. He turned to leave.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome called out just as he was closing the door. He popped his   
head back in and raised an eyebrow in question. "Where am I?" she asked.  
  
He opened his mouth to answer, but a harsh female voice cut in through the high tech looking speakers that hung on either side of the door. "Kouga!" The man, obviously Kouga, cringed. "Your not allowed to reveal any information to the prisoner. Get   
back here now!" Sighing, Kouga turned to leave, but not before giving Kagome   
a wink. "Ja!" he said.  
  
Kagome blinked and ploped back on the bed, placing her head on her knees that she had curled up to her chest. "I'm so confused right now, its not even remotely funny."  
  


-- -- Reow -- --

  
Days passed and Kagome didn't see hide nor here of Kouga. In fact, she never saw any   
other living thing either. The only sign she got that told her, "Hey, we're fully aware we have some random, innocent girl locked up for no reason at all!", was the meals served each day.  
  
Kagome was bored. There are only so many times to check for a way out, so many different ways to think of to kill/mutilate/maul the people who did this to her. (She had gotten up to thirty and decided to give up, less she made herself sick.)  
  
The teenager had lost track of time. There were no windows to allow sunlight or moonlight in, and no helpful clock either. _I'm getting a watch after I get outta here._ The girl thought dryly. Kagome was fully convinced she was slowly, but surely, snapping; like a piece of pocky in a small child's mouth. (Whee! Figurative writing, fun!)

The door handle wiggled and turned 90 degrees before the door itself was pushed open. Kagome sat up and looked expectantly, slightly hoping it was Kouga. (Just so she might have a chance at betting out of this ... white place. )

Her spirits fell ever so slightly when a lady with black hair that went to her neck line, but was pulled back in a tight, short ponytail entered. Her posture was straight and rigged, like military official. The girl winced inwardly. _Great, another fruit on the branch._ The lady's cold glare fell on her. "Come with me." The lady stated simply, taking a step back as an invitation for Kagome to follow her order. She got up and walked out the door behind the woman.

__

Maybe if I cooperate, I can get out of here quicker. The girl thought as she trailed behind Ms. Army-Woman. The walls were bare white stone and there were other cells with numbers on the metal doors, nothing more. _Geese, some one needs to hire an interior decorator._ Kagome thought dryly. She decided she would never work in a place unless it had at _least_ a good paint job.

They took the elevator that was stationed at the end of the hallway. There were no floor numbers, just names. Ms. Army-woman pressed the button that had the label of "Labs".

That's never a good sign. 

Kagome felt queasy; and the woman's silence wasn't helping. The girl glanced briefly at the woman, who was staring off into space. She wore a white lab coat and smart looking shoes. Her name tag was no where in sight. _Maybe this is a small time company or something._ The girl excused.

A few moments later, the elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened with a ding to another hallway that looked exactly like the one before. As they walked down, Kagome noticed that there was one difference in the two hallways: The doors. 

The cell doors were metal and brandished big locks, these doors looked more like the doors they had at her school with the little windows. As they passed one, Kagome saw animals stuck in cages with different words that she couldn't pronounce above them. More thoughts entered Kagome's mind and her stomach flipped. 

Also, these doors had brief descriptions that served as names. The one with the animals had the words "Toxic Chemical Testing" printed on it. They stopped at one that read "Surface Testing", and entered once Ms Army-Woman unlocked it. The room looked similar to a science lab; with the same black-top tables and white floors.

"Sit." The woman said, indicating to the table. Kagome did as she was told, fear making her quick about it. She watched the woman go over to the cabinet and pull out a box. She closed the cabinet and walked back over to the table, setting the box down on it. Without speaking a word, Ms. Army-Woman opened the box and pulled out a syringe and box of cotton balls. 

"W-what are you going to do?" Kagome squeaked at the sight of the needle. The woman looked at her with a kind of hard look.

"Taking blood samples." She stated simply.

Dare she push her luck? "Why?" 

The woman gave her a cold stare and twisted her arm to find a vein and wipe it with one of the cotton balls. After she took blood, Ms. Army-Woman yanked up Kagome's sleeve and wiped a spot on her upper arm. She took another needle from the box, full of liquid, and flicked it a couple of times to clear it of air. 

Kagome paled. She had no idea what was in that tube, and she didn't want to know. "Umm," she started, but the woman paid no attention to her and grabbed her arm again to keep it still. The girl squirmed, trying to free her arm from the woman's grip and get away. The girl managed to succeed in escaping from Ms. Army-Woman's clutches, and ran to the door. 

Too bad the poor girl didn't see the small waste basket. That may of prevented her from tripping over it and hitting her head on a counter and knocking herself out. 

-- -- Reow -- --

There's nothing like waking up with a pounding headache; unless you do it twice in a row, then it stinks. Kagome cursed fate when she came to, blaming it for everything and asking why couldn't she just have worried about her math grades.

A look around told her she was in the back of a van. Too bad the thing didn't have windows, it would have been easier to escape. _Great,_ she thought,_ now they're gonna take me somewhere and kill me off so they won't have to worry about me when my clone appears and takes over the world._

The van was off, meaning so was the air conditioner. Man, it was hot. Maybe they planned to kill her by heat exhaustion? Kagome fumbled around and tried the doors. Locked, of course. She looked around, but she was the only object, living or not, in the back.

"Fudge!" She yelled out and kicked the back doors in frustration.

Slowly, they creaked open, allowing sunlight to pour in.

-- -- -- --

Author's Rant:

2nd chapter!!! *Cheers* Cliffhanger! *Dodges random objects* ^,^;;; I was gonna end it where she got knocked out, but I felt like making it up to you. I promise, the 3rd will be out S.O.O.N!


	3. Shopping and Sales

A/N: I want to thank my editor a lot for this chapter! :: Huggles Kaji-chan :: If I hadn't of kidnapped her, held her hostage at my house for three days straight, and forced her to look over this chapter, I doubt this chapter would of gone anywhere. :D; Thanks Kaji-obasan! (Lol. Gomen ne for the INSANELY long delay.)

* * *

-- You Get What You Pay For -- 

-- Chapter 3 --

-- Shopping and Sales --

* * *

An old, beat up, red truck shook as it slowly turned off. The door squeaked loudly as it was shoved open, and a young man, about twenty or so, stepped out into the hot summer sun and adjusted his hat. 

Unnaturally silver hair was pulled back into a pony tail to prevent his neck from melting. Old jeans, a faded t-shirt, that sported the phrase "Big dog" on the front, - and his bulky arms - a hat, and decent looking sneakers, covered the rest. A leather-gloved hand reached into the back pocket of his jeans and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper with neat writing on it.

'Laundry detergent, storage bins, socks,' He read off the list mentally, 'and... biscuits!' The final item was written in a sloppier style, much different to the previous. With a canine-filled grin, the list was stuffed back into the pocket, along with a pen, and the man started to the giant building labeled: "Floor Mart".

-- -- Reow -- --

Kagome stood outside the van and looked around. She was in a giant, bigger than that, parking lot in the middle of nowhere. Well, she thought, it had to be _somewhere_ because hundreds of cars wouldn't be sitting around for nothing. Not all of them were in poor condition, either, so Kagome's small fear of being trapped in a junk yard and possibly dying from the masher squishing her up like a PB & J sandwich dissipated quickly.

She walked around to the side of the van, sneaking at first to make sure the vehicle was empty, and looked for any distinctive markings. A cartoon picture of a yellow and black wasp was on the side, along with the words: "Saimyosho Sandwich Delivery". Kagome rolled her eyes, _Oh please._ She thought sarcastically knowing already there could possibly be no such company by that name. _I've looked for a job all over, and that never popped up._

The girl caught a glimpse of something moving and turned toward it. A young woman, probably around the same age as her, was walking towards a building (A building she had just noticed). The woman wore blue jeans, an old short-sleeved shirt, and a black hat. She had hair that went to her mid-lower back and was either a very light blonde, or unnaturally white.

Kagome screamed at herself, _Look, a normal person! Go find out where some police are and, more importantly, where _you _are! _The out-for-the-summer girl started a small jog towards this new "White Haired Woman". But as she neared the woman, she noticed that the shoulders as well as the rest of "her" figure were more bulky and ... Masculine.

_Maybe they're just that way because they were in some freak accident or something._ Kagome tried to reason with herself. _Or they work out a lot. _She was about to ask the woman her whereabouts when a thought struck her: _What if this person works for Mr. Creeper? They _are_ walking away from the van, so they might have just come out of it._

She felt a headache coming on. All she wanted to do was find a _safe_ way to get home and take a nice long shower, then eat some oden. Kagome made a face; why couldn't her summers, at least, be that simple?

The woman paused and started to turn towards her. Acting fast, she ran behind the nearest car. Kagome positioned herself so she could see the woman, but the woman would have a hard time seeing her, and received a shocking surprise: the woman was a young man. Not too bad looking, either.

_He _looked around curiously, as if she had literally vanished and he was imagining she was there. Kagome took note his hat said in yellow, bold letters: "security". Maybe he was patrolling around the parking lot, making sure no one vandalized, or broke into, the cars. _He might also be wearing that hat to fool people into thinking that,_ Kagome contradicted herself, _while he really works for Mr. Creeper!_

She decided that she would lay off the criminal suspense dramas on television when she got back home.

She also decided a little ninja spy work wouldn't hurt and following him far enough would prove if he worked for Mr. Creeper or not. Kagome would wait until he was so far, even if he had one of those listening devices from the government, he wouldn't know she was following him.

She watched him walk into the store and get greeted by someone behind a counter wearing a blue vest. They chatted quickly then her prey moved on. When Kagome went in after him, she saw that the person he talked to was another person wearing the same "security" cap he was wearing.

_So he DOES work here!_ The girl decided pleased with herself and the fact that the man wasn't an enemy she had to worry about. But she still had the urge to follow him. And if she was around him and Ms Army-Woman found her, she wouldn't be able to take her away.

Mr. Prey grabbed a shopping cart and headed towards the house goods section. _Why would he need a basket?_ Kagome mused. _Maybe he's undercover, posing as a normal person to catch creeps unaware. Or, he's about to get off work and is picking up a few things for his home._ She toyed with a few more ideas of what his home looked like, and if he was married or engaged. Not in this girl's fantasy!

He grabbed four of the biggest storage bins, and _tried_ to balance them in his small cart. When the bins fell a fifth time, the man angrily shoved them back on the shelf and stormed off another isle. Kagome paled where she was hiding behind a sports drink stand. _That guy needs anger management_. She thought.

Kagome got more and more bored following him around. In truth, it was very boring to watch someone shop from afar. You couldn't even see their butt that well. Eventually Mr. Prey got very man basic things: socks, biscuits, detergent (surprisingly enough), and those blasted bins.

While he was checking out, Kagome caught sight of a familiar lady looking around like someone had stepped on her toe and she was going to punch their lights out when she found them. The girl paled. _Oh crap._ She ducked beneath the case of children's books earning an odd look from a little girl. The little girl stood up from her reading spot and peeked over the shelves.

"Are you running from the lady with the green earrings?" The little girl asked.

"Uh, yeah, I am." Kagome replied shakily. Wow, this girl caught on quickly.

"Well, that man-woman is leaving now..." The child adjusted her small glasses.

"The one with white hair?"

The child nodded. "And the lady with the earrings turned around." She added.

"Thank you!" With a small bow, Kagome scurried after Mr. Prey. _Bless the tiny, little, children!_ Her heart was going a mile-a-minute; she was following a guy she didn't know only because she had the feeling he could help her, and she was being tracked down by some crazy "sandwich delivery service" for unknown evil reasons.

The white-haired man was putting his purchases into the bed of a red truck that had seen better days. He grunted in effort as he lifted three of those containers up over the lip of the truck bed, dumping them into the trunk and frowning at the mess.

Kagome watched him from behind the safety of another vehicle, blinking as he jumped into the bed and shoved the bins into a near row at the back of his truck. She stood on her tiptoes, peering over the top of the van to glance into the truck bed. It seemed to have enough space back there for a person or two... maybe she could "accidentally" hide in the back of his-

_Ack!_ Kagome thought with a gasp and slap to her head. No, no. That was a BAD idea! What if this man-woman-thing really did work for Mr. Creeper? But, at the moment, he was her only way out of here. Unless she instantly developed the skill to break into family minivans...

With an irritable expression practically plastered to his face, he tossed the other items in one of the bins, along with the final storage bin into the back, before kicking the shopping cart behind him into the chart holding area and slamming the gate shut in the back, and finally decided to kick the fender for good measure before walking around to the driver's side. Kagome winced for the third time that day from behind the safety of the van. Seeing his violent nature, the idea of stowing away in his truck bed was now looking a bit dim.

He opened the door and plopped into the set, slamming the cab door closed and jamming the keys into the ignition. Kagome bit her lip in contemplation. She had to make a decision, or Mr. Woman would drive off along with the possibility of her escaping. _Maybe I should sleep on this_, Kagome thought absently.

The sound of heels against concrete sent the option of her completing her thoughts out the window as she turned around and realized something...Mrs. Army-Woman was approaching with a bundle of shopping bags cradled under her arm like she was holding some lumpy demon baby. Kagome didn't have time to frown at the fact the Mrs. Army-Woman had locked her up in the back of a van to go shopping, because she had realized something else: she was hiding behind a certain black van that she should have been putting a helluva lot of distance between... it being the black van that said "Saimyosho Sandwich Delivery" on it and all.

Not really having time to think, she vaulted over the front of the van's hood and bolted for the back of the red truck bed. Mrs. Army-Woman must have seen her...since she was screaming her army butt off trying to get Kagome's attention...not that she would listen, anyway. With a sudden spurt of adrenaline, Kagome vaulted over the lip and into the trunk.

-- -- Meow -- --

_What the hell just hit my car? _Confused golden eye met angered red ones via the review mirror. Some lady wearing blue jeans and matching camouflaged tank top and high heels had her arm raised back holding a plastic grocery bag; apparently to throw something else at him. The man scoffed, _I know my truck's ugly but you don't have throw things at it!_ He would have yelled that at her, but right now he just wanted to get home and take a nap.

The truck sped out of the parking lot and stopped at the exit to prevent wreckage. Kagome, in the back, took this opportunity to scramble into an empty bin and barely had time to cram a lid on it before the truck lurched forward onto the highway.

Kagome's mind raced. _What the heck have I've gotten myself into now, stowing away in the back of a complete stranger's truck?_ A thought shot into her head and she felt like crying. _I could have just gone to customer services and told them what happened and that I need a phone to call Mama! Oh God, I'm an idiot! _She gave a tiny thanks that the bin was large enough for her to turn around and bang her head on the floor a few times.

In the cab, the man blinked. "Did I hit some rocks?" He wandered aloud.

-- -- Hiss -- --

A man with short, black hair tied in a small rat tail looked up from his computer as he heard the sound of a rickety old diesel engine pull up into the driveway of his town home. Well, not_ his_ alone: the town home he shared with his friend. The same friend just got home from the shopping trip. The man went out side to greet his friend and to make sure he got everything on the list.

"Inuyasha!" He called to the man slamming the car door and making his way to the bed to grab a rather large storage bin. It was close to the size of a garbage can. Inuyasha noticed his friend's blank stare and shrugged.

"These were on sale." He stated.

"Yes, but did you have to get the biggest ones they had?" The man asked, making his way over to help out. He tried picking up a bin that was about two times wider than him, and gasped at its weight. "Inuyasha," He called, "What the hell is in these? It's heavier than Sango's new toy!"

Inuyasha came out with a scowl and watched his roommate struggle to get the box in. "Damn Miroku, I only got what you told me to; you're so weak!"

Miroku sat down the bin next to the other and sighed, "Yes, but things that are "light" to you can weigh up to one hundred pounds..." He said to himself. Inuyasha came in with the remaining boxes stacked into each other and slammed them on the floor.

"I heard that, you know." He stated bluntly and started fishing through the top box. He pulled out a box of biscuits and grinned. Miroku rolled his eyes and went over to close the door before dragging the boxes into the spare bedroom. "Besides," Inuyasha started, talking around a few biscuits that had fallen into the vortex known as Inuyasha's mouth, "I got the biggest ones because I figured you'd need them for all your dirty magazines. I'm tired of seeing them in piles in the corner, it's disgusting."

_And so is talking with food in your mouth._ But Miroku decided against voicing his comeback.

-- -- Purr -- --

Kagome peaked out of the box. It seemed she was now in the living quarters of someone who collected magazines... Kagome shuddered as she remembered what Inuyasha had stated those magazines were. _Men are disgusting!_ She thought as she climbed out of the box. Both men were in the main room, she deciphered with a peek through a crack in the door. The one called Inuyasha was on the couch, still munching away on biscuits, watching television and Miroku wasn't in plain site but Kagome heard the click clack of a computer keyboard.

Inuyasha's head swiveled in Kagome's direction and she threw herself back and scrambled to the closet.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" She heard Miroku ask.

"I thought I heard something." The white haired boy's voice was at the door. Kagome moved aside some coats and pressed herself against the corner. Inuyasha's footsteps came in the room and paced around.

"Inuyasha," Miroku whispered from the door, "What are you-?" Inuyasha shushed him. He stood in front of the closet, his hand resting on the handle. Kagome shut her eyes as the door was thrown open. Coat hangers were moved.

"Just because your eyes are closed, doesn't mean you're invisible." Inuyasha retorted dryly.

* * *

A/N: End of chapter three!!! :3 Next chapter: "Explanations Over Desert"


	4. Explanations Over Dessert

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Ali for taking the consideration to contact me personally and remind me I still had fans out there. Thank, sweets::Huggles:

… You, Microsoft! Grrr.

-- You Get What You Pay For --

-- Chapter 4 --

-- Explanations Over Dessert --

As far back as Kagome could remember there had only been three times where she prayed hard to every deity Grandpa ranted about of to allow her to survive: once, when she was ten, a giant roach had flown and nested in her shirt; once when the roller coaster she rode stopped abruptly for a full minute upside down; and now. The sound of hangers and clothes being shoved out of the way was worse than finger nails scraping across a blackboard.

"Just because your eyes are closed, don't mean you're invisible." The voice above her retorted dryly. Kagome cracked an eye open at peeked at her finder. His eyes widened. "You." He hissed.

"Uh-oh." Kagome squeaked as a leathered-covered hand grabbed her arm and forcefully threw her out of the closet. Luckily she landed on the bed and avoided serious injury from possibly smashing her head against the wall. The black-haired boy ran from the door to the side of the bed as the white-haired one stalked up to more-frightened-than-ever Kagome.

"Who said you could ever pop your little head up around me ever again, eh?" Inuyasha snarled. Miroku placed a claming hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Inuyasha," he said, "That's no way to treat a lady."

"Take a closer look, bouzu," Inuyasha scuffed. The calmer man's eyes widened in realization and a breath escaped his lips.

"Yeah." The ill-tempered man said and focused his attention on Kagome. "What are you doing here and in my CLOSET?"

"Um," Miroku spoke up, "That's my closet."

"SHUT UP!" Inuyasha roared. "I don't need you correcting me in front of this bitch!" He reached down and grabbed the girl by the collar of the shirt and pulled her face close to his. "Listen well, Kikyou." He hissed through his teeth, "You have 'till the count of four to tell me why you've—"

He paused.

He sniffed.

She blinked.

His eye twitched.

"Who the fuck are you?" He asked.

"Not whoever you think I am!" She yelled back. With a quick release she bounced back onto the bed while Inuyasha looked at her dumbfounded.

"How can-- you look exactly like her, but you smell completely different." He gritted his teeth and ran his hands over his face.

"What's your name, miss?" Miroku asked.

"Kagome." She replied. "Kagome Higurashi."

"Higurashi?" Miroku repeated.

"Hey! You're that chick that ran away from home!" Inuyasha pointed out.

"What! I certainly did NOT run away from home." She stumbled, flabbergasted. "I was kidnapped by some creep who really needs a hair cut." Kagome didn't know weather to feel angry or upset.

"Well Asian reporter, Trish Takanawa, says differently." The owner of white hair blunted out dully. Kagome bolted through the door in front of the television.

"Trish Takanawa, live, on site at the Higurashi shrine where we are going on day eight of Kagome Higurashi's disappearance. Police first thought it to be a run-away case but the owner of the shrine declares differently." The woman turned to an old man while a young boy was attempting his best to comfort his sobbing mother.

"Grandpa, Souta, Mother!" Kagome shouted at the television as the two men walked back into the room.

"My dear grand-daughter couldn't have run away! There is an ancient legend of runaways I used to tell her every night before she went to bed! And that legend is--" Souta had come up and pushed his grandfather away towards his mother.

"We know my sister didn't run away because the house was trashed. At first mom told the police Kagome was just really clumsy but we know she couldn't have run away!" The boy fought back an onslaught of tears, clenching his fists.

"Oh Souta." Kagome whispered, feeling her own tears prick up. The reporter went on to tell how the police have now issued a missing persons report but was cut off halfway when a click of the remote shut the TV down. There was a bit of silence in which Kagome started to sob freely. Inuyasha looked over to his companion with an annoyed/what-the-hell-are-we-supposed-to-do-now look. Miroku held in a sigh and removed his handkerchief from his back pocket, kneeling by Kagome and handing it to her.

"There, there." The black-haired man rubbed the girl's back, his hand getting lower and lower--

Until a foot collided with the side of his head and knocked him away from the unsuspecting girl, now bawling into the cloth, and into a wall. Inuyasha growled in frustration at the noise. It was irritating as hell! He stomped over to the freezer, yanked out a carton, and stomped back over to the girl before shoving it in her face.

"HERE!" He shouted at her. She blinked and hiccupped, looking at the container of Chocolate Covered Cherry ice cream. When she looked up at him confused, he turned away, ears flattening to the side of his head, and muttered. "Jus' stop cryin'."

Kagome accepted the treat and muttered a thank you. Miroku jumped up, completely unhurt despite the fact he flew into a wall on the other side of the room, and guided the other two to the kitchen table.

"Well now that we've all calmed down, how about we hear your side of the story, Miss Kagome."

-- Reow --

An ice cream container later, Kagome had told the two everything that had happened to her starting with waking up the day she was abducted. Inuyasha stared at the table, more like glowered at it, while Miroku looked more concerned.

"Well, you did make an odd decision by jumping in the back of Inuyasha's truck. A very dangerous decision, but I guess its all for the best." Miroku shrugged then shifted, suddenly getting serious. "You see, Miss Kagome, the man who kidnapped you was Naraku."

"Mr. Creeper's first name is Naraku?" Kagome asked

Miroku smiled a bit. "We don't know his last name, but yes: Naraku is his first name. You see Naraku and his company are trying to create a special item. The process is similar to olden rituals and involves the essences of young women--"

"Mr. Creeper isn't trying to create some virus that goes out of hand and turns everyone into zombies is he?" Kagome asked worried. Inuyasha suppressed a smile.

"Um.. He most certainly is not. At least not that we know of. But I doubt he'd want to anyway. Naraku is kidnapping young women, looking for one who possesses the power to create the Shikon no Tama."

"The jewel that's supposed to be found in only a pure maiden?" Kagome knew all about the jewel, and all about the fakes she sold at her shrine each year.

"Exactly. The kidnappings have been going on for longer than you think. Naraku's company is powerful and will stop at nothing until he gets that jewel. No matter who he has to kill, he'll do it to get it."

"That means my family's in danger!" Kagome jumped up from her chair.

"Ah, yes I suppose. But not as much danger because you're not there." The black-haired man explained calmly, ushering her to sit back down. "Naraku probably has men stationed around the shrine day and night to wait for the moment you return so your best bet is to stay away for now."

Kagome's heart sank. Great, wasn't this cliché. But no matter how cliché it was, it still sucked. "So…" She started. "What are we supposed to do now?" Inuyasha suddenly let out a grunt, got up, and stormed to his bed room, slamming the door.

Miroku shook his head. "Ignore him." Kagome nodded. "For now, we can do little but wait and think of a plan. Predict where he's gonna attack next."

"And how will we figure that out?"

A dreamy look filled Miroku's eyes and he smiled widely at her. "I have my ways." He stared dreamily into space before shaking his head and addressing her again. "The couch folds out so you can camp here tonight. Tomorrow we'll talk more." After finishing up on the computer, Miroku waved her good night and retired to his room. Kagome turned over, pulling up the covers. She hated this and wanted to go home.

-- Reow --

Inuyasha rolled over and sat up. Stupid dreams woke him up. The clock told him he was up three hours before the sun. Good time for pointless infomercials. The couch was folded out, but he took no notice of it being unusual and plopped down on his stomach. After flipping through every channel at least three times, Inuyasha stopped on a device that advertised weight loss in space. Pretty pointless, but a great thing to sleep to. So the young man dozed off into a deep sleep again, never noticing the girl in the same bed as he, never noticing her roll closer to him unconsciously, never noticing his internal defending instincts kicking up and making him hold her close so the Boogie Man wouldn't attack.

-- -- -- --

A/N: My hand hurts so badly from typing. Took too long to get this out. Its 5.25AM. I'm tired. Next Chapter: Badges and Bruises


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